Built on Real Business Experience
We started qorivixoella in 2019 because we noticed something odd. Most financial education felt disconnected from what actually happens when you're building something from scratch. The late nights. The spreadsheet confusion. The "wait, how does this work again?" moments.
How We Actually Started
Back in 2018, I was consulting with small businesses around Cairns. Same pattern kept showing up—brilliant ideas, genuine passion, but finances that looked like someone threw darts at a calculator. These weren't careless people. They just never learned this stuff in a way that stuck.
My co-founder Brecken had been teaching accounting at TAFE for years and felt the same frustration from the other side. Students would ace their exams, then freeze when facing an actual business decision. Something was missing between theory and reality.
So we started small. Weekend workshops at a community center in Cairns. Fifteen people showed up to the first one. We focused on one thing: making financial concepts click through actual business scenarios. Not textbook examples—real situations our attendees were facing that week.
Six years later, we're still doing essentially the same thing, just with better coffee and more participants.
What Guides Our Approach
Context Over Formulas
Financial formulas matter, sure. But understanding when to use them—and when to ignore them—matters more. We teach both the mechanics and the judgment calls that come from actual experience.
Mistakes Included
Every instructor here has made expensive business mistakes. We don't hide them. Those failures taught us more than any success ever did, and they're part of what we share with students.
Progress Not Perfection
You don't need a perfect business plan or flawless financial projections. You need to understand enough to make your next decision with confidence. That's where we focus—practical progress, not theoretical perfection.
Who's Actually Teaching
Tavish Koenig
Co-Founder & Lead Instructor
Spent twelve years running a consulting practice before co-founding qorivixoella. Still consults part-time because it keeps teaching grounded in what's actually happening in businesses right now. Has a tendency to use sailing analogies that mostly make sense.
Elira Beckmann
Strategy Director
Joined in 2021 after building and selling two small businesses in Brisbane. Brings a retail background that balances out our service-business bias. Known for asking uncomfortable questions that usually need asking.
Six Years of Figuring Things Out
Started With Workshops
Launched weekend sessions focused on financial planning for new businesses. Kept groups small—around fifteen people—because that's what fit in the community center room we could afford. Turned out the intimate setting worked better for learning anyway.
First Full Programs
Developed our first six-month program covering business fundamentals through actual case studies. Made every mistake you could make with curriculum design—too much content, not enough practice time, overambitious outcomes. The second cohort in late 2021 went much better after we learned from that.
Expanded Across Queensland
Partnered with business centers in Brisbane and Townsville. Realized our Cairns-focused approach needed adjusting for different regional contexts. Brisbane businesses face different challenges than Far North Queensland operations. Obvious in hindsight, but we had to learn it.
Current Focus
Running specialized programs for specific industries—hospitality, retail, professional services. Each sector has unique financial patterns, and generic advice doesn't cut it. Also experimenting with peer learning groups where past students help current ones. Early results look promising.